Container



y 1951 a J. M. GORDON 2,550,804

' CONTAINER Filed April 27, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VENTOR ATTORNEY May1, 1951 Filed April 27, 1946 J. M. GORDON CONTAINER '2 Sheets-SheetINVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented May 1, 1951 OFFHCE CONTAINER James M. Gordon,Los Angeles, Calif.

Application April 27, 1946, Serial No. 665,458

6 Claims.

This invention 'relates to receptacles or containers and moreparticularly to that type of receptacle used in the meat packingindustry for storing or conveying out meats, and known in the industryasa meat lug.

Previously, wooden meat lugs have been utilized for the shipping andstorage of cut meats, but several disadvantages have made them expensiveto use and difficult to maintain. Wood. being porous, tends to absorbfluids originating in the meats, breaking down the wood itself,

swelling and expanding the joints, and making the task of maintainingthe lugs in a clean and sanitary condition a very difficult one. In anefiort to obviate the contact of the meats with the lugs, they have beenlined with moisture resistant paper, an obviously expensive and laborconsuming expedient.

Heavy usage and the deteriorating factors described above have made themaintenance of the lugs expensive. Further, because of the weight of thelugs, they are difficult to handle and move about, When nested onewithin the other, they are hard to separate, and the instruments used inprying the lugs apart frequently cause damage which adds to the expenseof maintaining the lugs. Distorted frames and swelled joints makeaccurate stacking and nesting difiicult indeed and wooden lugs sostacked or nested are in constant danger of toppling over.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a meat lug whichis light, strong and moisture proof and adapted to be easily and cheaplymaintained.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a meat lug sodesigned and constructed thatit can be readily cleaned and easily keptin a sanitary condition.

.Another object of this invention is the provision of meat lugs adaptedto be stacked one upon the other and when so stacked to be maintained inconstant and non-shifting alignment, thus eliminating toppling of thelugs.

An additional object of this invention is the provision of meat lugswhich can be nested one Within the other when not in use but soconstructed that they can be readily separated when they are to be used.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a meat lugthrough which air may circulate when it is loaded and stacked underanwith the other lugs by the provision of means which hold the lugs innested relationship to each other.

This invention possesses manyother advantages and has other objectswhich may be made more easily apparent from a consideration of oneembodiment of the invention. For this purpose there is shown a form inthe drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification.This form will now be described in detail, illustrating the generalprinciples of the invention; but it is to be understood that thisdetailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since thescope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a meat lug embodying this inventionand shown with its handles positioned to support another lug stackedthereupon;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the lug, partly in section; a

Figure 3 is an end elevational View of the lug, with a section taken online 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view taken on line d4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view showing a plurality of the lugsstacked one upon the other, with the bottom lug being shown partially insection; and

Figure 6 is a side elevational view showing the lugs nested one withinthe other, with the lowermost lug shown partially in section.

A meat lug embodying the invention is shown in the drawings andcomprises a receptacle ll] having side walls H, end walls l2, and abottom iii. A peripheral flange it bounds the top of the lug, impartingstrength and rigidity to it and being adapted to cooperate with handlemeans I5 which can be used for stacking purposes and which are mountedon the end walls i2.

The body of the lug is designed to be formed from a single sheet oflightweight, non-rusting and corrosion resisting material, such asaluminum, in the shape of a frusto-pyramid, with the side walls H andthe end walls 12 flaring out from the bottom It) so that the openingembraced by the peripheral flange i i is larger in area than the bottom[3. An instruck, triangular bead or rib ll situated immediately belowthe peripheral flange i i strengthens the'side walls It and the endwalls 52, serving in addition to assist in rctatably mounting thehandles or stacking It on the end walls I2.

Somewhat below the stiffening rib I! there is thereof.

provided a deeper additional instruck triangular rib I8, adapted both tofurther strengthen the side walls H and end walls i2, and to serve as aseat or nesting means upon which the bottom [3 of another lug identicalto the one described can be placed, when the lugs are nested one withinthe other. It is, of course, understood that the side walls ii and theend walls i2 so meet with the bottom it t .at an accurate registry withthe instrucl: bead or rib l8, which will neither bind nor permitundesirable looseness, is provided. The rib ll is of such height as toengage the Walls of the inserted container when supported on the rib ll,thus providing additional restraint against looseness.

To permit ease of lifting and to facilitate the sanitary maintenance ofthe lug, the peripheral flange it is formed with a flat portion 29extending outwardly from the side and end walls H and 12, said flatportion having a portion 2i dirested downwardly therefrom andterminating in an upturned, outwardly directed lip or bead 22. Thus, nosharp edges which would render lifting difiicult, or inaccessiblecorners which would prevent thorough cleansing, are to be found in theflange. In addition, of course, the shape of the perip eral flange Hienables it to serve as an adjunct to the handle or stacking means l5 inboth their stacking and nesting functions.

The ban les i5, preferably formed of light rod stock, are rotatablymounted in the grooves formed in the outside of the end walls i2 by theinstrucl: rib i! and have their ends 28 retained for rotation therein bymeans of clips or mounts l6, which comprise flat portions to fastened tothe end walls 42 immediately above and below the groove formed by theinstruck rib i? and curved or bowed out portions 38 overlying thegrooves against which the ends 28 of the handle means l5 rotate. To keepthe ends 28 of the handle means it from being laterally displaced orshifted in their mounts Hi, instru'ck, triangularly shaped segments orprojections 3! are formed integrally with the mounting means it on theinner side of, and immediately adjacent to the bowed out portion '36.

From the ends'or pintles 28 of the handle means l5, there extend handlesegments 2-! which are outwardly directed at an upward angle under theperipheral flange is and run into segments 26 which rise at an angle ina plane parallel to the sides 2! of the peripheral flange is. From thesegments 26 there run segments 25': which lie transversely across theflat portion 2E3 of the flange E4 in a bearing relationship thereto, Extending downwardly from the segments 25 and at an angle thereto aresegments or ofisets forming spaced shoulders 24% between which runs thestraight middle portion or segment 23, which bridges the top of the lugand is designed to act as the stacking surface when the lugs are placedin stacked relationship to each other. The offsets or shoulders 2 areseparated by a distance substantially equal to the width of the bottomor a lug, so as to accurately position a lug supported in the means it,by engaging the opposite sides As can be seen from the drawings, theangular configuration of the handle means #5 enables it-to serve a seatfor the bottoms of lug, segments 25 are adapted to bear on the the pileto topple over.

peripheral flange it. Since as just pointed out, and as shown in Fig. 3,the offset portions 24 extend upwardly at a sharp angle immediatelyadjacent the sides of a lug supported on the segment 23, and join therespective segments 25 immediately adjacent the inner edge of the flange54, the loads borne on segment 23 are distributed into the structure ofthe lug substantially entirely by tension in the ofisets 24, thusavoiding the creation of severe bending forces in the element l5.

Conversely, when the handle means I5 is 1'0- tated out of engagementwith the top of the lug and is rotated into a position below theperipheral flange i i, the handle means lie adjacent the exterior of theend walls l2 of the lug and the straight segments 23 of the handle meansare adapted to be grasped and used to pick up or otherwise move the lug.When the handle means i5 are being utilized to stack another lugthereupon, the peripheral flange I is adapted to be used to grasp thelug.

When a number of lugs are nested one within the other, segments 23, E5of the handles l5 of one lug will hang under the peripheral flange M ofthe lug next below. Thus, when the top log of a number of nested lugs ispicked up by its peripheral flange 14, the other lugs will be retainedin a nested relationship thereto because of the engagement of thesegments 25 under the peripheral flanges M of the next lower lug.

Since the circulation of refrigerated air over the contents of the lugswhen they are loaded and stacked one upon the other is desirable, thestacking means is and more particularly the segments 23 are sodimensioned that when the bottom of another lug is stacked thereupon anair gap will lie between the interior of the lug and the bittom A3 ofthe lug stacked thereupon. Through this gap refrigerated air may becirculated and the danger of spoilage to the con tents of the lugsobviated. Thus, it can be seen that it is absolutely necessary that thehandle means be restrained from lateral shifting by the restrainingmeans 3! so that the air gap may be maintained at a substantiallyconstant 'dimension about the bottom of the lug. Further, the handles [5are restrained from lateral shifting so that the lugs placed thereuponwhen the handle means l5 are used for stacking purposes will always bedirectly over the center of the lu below, to avoid the possibility thatthe stacked lugs may topple over.

It is also intended that a lug, when nested within another lug andresting on the nesting means It and engaging the rib 51, will not beeither wedged tightly therein, nor, on the other hand, fit so looselythat one lug can slip within the other, with the possibility that when alarge number of lugs have been nested, they may shift in relationship toone another and cause The fact that the lugs are not wedged tightly oneinto the other when nested facilitates their separation and eliminatesthe necessity for their separation by forcible means.

Since both the handle segments 23 and the nesting means is mustaccurately fit the bottoms 53 of lugs placed thereupon it can readily beseen that the outer limits of the stacking means 55 and the nestin meansis lie in substantially the same vertical plane and on the same straightvertical line extending from the bottom to the top of the lug.

i, I claim: y 1. In an open top container having flaring side and endwalls, and a bottom, said walls having exterior flanges providingtransverse surfaces; a pair of elements having transversely extendingportions adapted to bridge said container, as well as radially directedarms adjacent the opposite ends of said element; and means mounting saidelements respectively adjacent the opposite ends of said container foroptional angular movement about the ends of said arms between positionsin which said portions are supported on said flanges and in which saidportions lie adjacent said end walls said container being adapted to besupported in definite nested relation in a similar container, the radiusof said arms being such as to cause said portion when swung to aposition adjacent said end Wall of the first mentioned container to passbelow the flange on said similar container,

whereby lifting force acting on the first mentioned container will betransmitted to said similar container.

2. In an open top container having flaring side and end Walls, and abottom, said walls having exterior flanges providing transversesurfaces; a pair of elements having transversely extending portionsadapted to bridge said container, as well as radially directed armsadjacent the opposite ends of said element; means mount" ing saidelements respectively adjacent the opposite ends of said container foroptional angular movement about the ends of said arms between positionsin which said portions are supported on said flanges and in which saidportions lie adjacent said end walls between said flanges; said portionswhen supported on said flanges being adapted to support a similarcontainer in stacked relation with the first mentioned container; meansforming transversely spaced shoulders on each of said portions forengaging the sides of said stacked container and maintaining itpositioned with respect to the opening of said first mentionedcontainer; said first mentioned container bein adapted to be supportedin definite nested relation in a similar container, the radius of saidarms being such as to enable said portion to pass below the flanges onsaid last mentioned container, whereby lifting force acting on the firstmentioned container will be transmitted to said last mentioned containerby engagement of said portions with the flanges on said last mentionedcontainer.

3. In an open top container having flaring side and end walls and abottom, said walls having exterior flanges providing transversesurfaces; a pair of elements having transversely extending portionsadapted to bridge said container, said portions having a central zoneproviding spaced offsets, as well as radially directed arms adjacent theopposite ends of said element; means mount ing said elementsrespectively adjacent the ends of said container for optional angularmovement about the ends of said arms to a position in which saidportions are supported on said flanges. and

to a position in which said portions lie adjacent said end walls; saidzone, when said portions rest on said flanges, being adapted to supporta similar container in stacked relation with the first mentionedcontainer, said ofisets extending within said container and serving byengagement with the sides of said similar container to maintain itspaced in the opening of the first mentioned container; said firstmentioned container being adapted to be supported in definite nestedrelation in a similar container, the radius of said arms being such asto enable said portion to pass below the flanges on said last mentionedcontainer, whereby lifting force acting on the first mentioned containerwill be transmitted to said last mentioned container by engagement ofsaid portions with the flanges on said last mentioned container.

4. In an open top container having flaring side and end walls, and abottom; means providing an exterior transverse surface adjacent theupper edge of each end wall; a pair of elements respectively havingportions extendingjtransversely of aid container as well as radiallydirected arms adjacent their opposite ends; means mounting said elementsrespectively adjacent the opposite ends of said container, for optionalangular movement about the ends of said arms to and from lower positionsin which said portions lie adjacent said end walls, said container beingadapted to be supported in nested relation in a similar container, theradius of said arms being such that said portions of the elements whenswung toward their lower position are adapted to pass be ow said surfaceforming means on said similar container, whereby lifting of the firstmentioned container will exert a lifting force on the similar container.

5. In combination: a pair of open top containers adapted to nest onewithin the other, each of said containers having flaring side and endwalls, and a bottom; means providing an exterior transverse surfaceadjacent the upper edge of each end wall; pairs of elements respectivelyhaving portions extending transversely of each container as well asradially directed arms adjacent their opposite ends; means mounting saidelements respectively adjacent the opposite ends of said containers foroptional angular movement about the ends of said arms to and from lowerpositions in which said portions lie adjacent said end walls; meanssupporting said containers when nested, in definite spaced relation, theradius of said arms being such that said portions of the eements on theupper container when swung toward their lower position are adapted topass below said surface forming means on the lower container, wherebylifting of the upper container will exert a lifting force on the lowercontainer, said elements being optionally swingable past said surfaceforming means on the lower container to permit lifting of the uppercontainer only.

6. In combination: a pair of open top contain ers adaptedto nest onewithin the other, each of said containers having flaring side and endwalls, and a bottom; means providing an exterior transverse flangeadjacent the upper edge of each end wall; pairs of elements respectivelyhaving portions extending transversely of each container,

adapted to rest on said flanges and bridge the container, as well asradially directed arms adjacent their opposite ends; means mounting saidelements respectively adjacent the opposite ends of said containers foroptional angular movement about the ends of said arms between bridgingpositions and positions in which said portions lie adjacent said endwalls; said transverse portion of said elements on one container when inbridging position, being adapted to support the other container instacked relation on said one container; means supporting said containerswhen nested, in definite spaced relation, the radius of said arms beingsuch that said portions of. he elem n 0. th upper e n ne h n swungowardhei lo er p i n are pt d to. pass below said. flange forming meanson'the lower container, whereby lifting of the upper container willexert a lifting force on the lower container, said. elements beingoptionally swingable past said flange forming means on the lowercontainer to permit lifting of the upper container only.

JAMES M. GORDON.

REFERENCES QITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 13,149 9 o o une 4 1,016,346Markee Feb. 6, 1912 Number 15 Number Name Date Norton Nov. 25, 1913Marko Dec. 20, 1927 Tufts et a1. 2 Nov. 17, 1936 Brown July 27, 1937Swift July 27, 1937 Best et a1. Jan. 11, 1938 Best et a1. June 28, 1938Benton July 7, 1942 Best Aug. 25, 1942 Best Sept, 29, 1942 Fordon Feb.26, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Norway Aug. 24, 1942

